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Alan De Smet
> Diceware Word List Comparisons
Diceware Word List Comparisons
Diceware is a
highly secure system for generate passwords. I recommend it to
anyone for password generation.
(Strictly speaking these are "passphrases," not passwords. But
it's what you're going to enter into the little box labeled
"password," so close enough.)
But, once you've decided to use Diceware, which list do you
use?
So long as the list is entirely filled with unique entries,
just about any list is secure. So what matters is how easy is it
to remember.
Unfortunately, it's not a matter of just rolling up a
password, and if you don't like it, just rolling up another.
Doing so means you're filtering out some possible passwords,
which reduces your security. For maximum security, you want to
commit to using whatever it rolled, exactly as it appears.
To help myself decide, I had a
computer program roll up a
bunch of passwords for each system so I could get a sense of how
memorable they were before doing my real roll.
Warning: Do not use the passwords below.
(That is, the 6-8 word long phrases, not the individual words.)
They're published, therefore you have to assume password crackers
are testing them. Also, do not use my program to generate your
own password; it's good enough for examples, but has serious
security flaws for real world use. Do like Reinhold says and
break out some actual dice to roll.
Per Reinhold's suggestion, I'm working with 6 word phrases as
a reasonable default. For the EFF short lists, I'm using 8 words
to reach the same level of security.
Reinhold's List
Reinhold's is the original list. In includes memorable
non-words, punctuation, and the occasionally offensive word.
Examples:
- fi byrd sold ul nay scowl
- farce car gap ts slab heavy
- float bowl vivo heine link 444
- cumin siege daze haley norway croon
- ul wf croft 74th inter nit
- loath stole were sheaf jq 66
- alamo ww envy chink clung madam
- flaw rj bx ecole spun til
- cockle parr altar scala acton dd
- grail rand wilkes work sprue song
- rink pence void hymnal claus dobson
- sinh swoop dub dead gimpy icky
- talk pine mush plain fuzz ogden
- she'd rouse autumn talus remus cutlet
- knee aj gad neuron walton rupee
- seep pqr sam arab yawn 39th
- lawson ifni muffin buggy salad swoop
- stout boost eta nasty howl land
- lice book peale bugle missy bunt
- addis gnaw acton decker roar arlen
Beale's List
Beale's list is based on Reinholds, but attempts to remove Americanisms and obscure words.
Examples:
- karol byte wnw shrug ascend lover
- easel kept diary creole nacl hail
- malice spry aeiou beryl pose lye
- wait dorm mops canvas gv convoy
- edict forms semen spade elude b-52
- nab 10 boris nag wharf pawns
- ever liars reef eve karol chief
- tgif pinup spoof manna aches vases
- hhh 44 mx um tusks medley
- eve bores tugs arena entry lj
- give inept zn chord more come
- katie blown betray layer pipe period
- abel climb sand lz along adios
- foamy heckle juicy bevy era front
- louse tabu baal stars ivory totem
- tbsp tank curry omits soapy debit
- finn eave epsom sobs punks knots
- gui aryan tier purge mulch metro
- reset er topple rocket arrive pie
- soak naked rafts iris xiii bleed
EFF Long
The EFF's list is based on research into words typical English
speakers are familiar with. They attempted to remove homonyms,
hard-to-spell words, and potentially offensive words. As a
result, the average word length is much longer.
Examples:
- ferry onlooker blah retouch map unzip
- yiddish aliens widget hatchet bobbed muck
- boozy outfield outshoot antitoxic rule facsimile
- tarantula straddle cried numbly spirited tutor
- afoot barbell broadness correct onset scouting
- moonshine reexamine outgrow arrest afford extras
- osmosis scuttle reappear bust matron clamshell
- directory violator laurel balmy those obscure
- commuting cursive ideology vowed negation deskwork
- jawless whoever oxford gag refund utility
- gullible sudoku moustache muscular subsystem knelt
- size glitzy canning endpoint busily tibia
- tameness stagnate sloppy blasphemy daughter detector
- stainless outplayed gossip gravel spinster unchain
- cornfield ethanol unfitted factsheet dust obstruct
- laborious boil myspace shopping olympics gumminess
- spore luminous dolly spongy curled dad
- pointless squire lumpiness bladder cacti crimp
- daybed small cardstock resize passport able
- channel lizard atypical portion album famished
EFF Short
Using a much shorter word list allowed the EFF to prune their
word list down to much shorter words, leaving an average word
length close to Reinhold and Beale's. However, the shorter list
means you need more words for the same security. To achieve the
same security as 6 words from the long list, you need 8 words.
Examples:
- keg skies faced gray perch dish tarot lilac
- rice sport yeast musky volt drive good gloss
- bony basil petri radar drone chili shade clear
- email twirl same king cried bless puppy judge
- thus salsa fit harm deck lair mom slam
- vixen cover lily shore scrub sharp data ditch
- slob thorn both vegan stoop cure fifth theme
- skip pest couch ripen icing yo-yo train koala
- elf track visa boss same pager derby saved
- dance water tint ruby cheer gray grunt taste
- pluck evoke poet liver hash emu swell steep
- trash slept hush rake wise shown rail sway
- equal bride alibi stump civil heave spied party
- dry sax echo cross swim boots tummy chest
- ebay late pry trick skies saint lift judge
- grief many bud golf glove sepia dove year
- book clump cargo duct whiff skip throb dash
- nacho shun lion crook ranch sling sip undo
- blend fax sharp large edge twice iron dance
- silly knee dodge bony growl shown stall coat
EFF Short Variant
While the words in this list are much longer, they all have
unique 3 character prefixes and have a minimum dissimilarity.
The result is that software could hypothetically autocomplete or
correct spelling to help the user.
Examples:
- mortuary sniff zillion geyser luxurious barracuda downstairs uranium
- announcer enhance dalmatian grape lazybones maestro radish dryer
- affidavit fanfare eagerness clubhouse pneumonia lazybones giraffe ragweed
- ceasefire bunny speakers statue obituary veteran cafeteria reporter
- myriad aorta tutorial bonnet cynicism argument dodge puzzle
- kneecap omissible democrat grill android fiddle favorite mayonnaise
- cynicism sugar celery evolution elbow bouquet opaquely roundtable
- sushi feedback skies podiatrist jaundice pyramid prairie dumpster
- cinnamon elusive abrasion fanfare sphinx mower journal refinery
- lint walrus parakeet vanquished leukemia speakers update opium
- nail accountant curry ought dentist nectar figurine hedgehog
- albatross savage unbuttoned hygienist hunter gleeful cyclist kneecap
- vaporizer aseptic untied nugget skateboard makeover balancing update
- goggles ludicrous dorsal rhubarb busboy makeover hefty urologist
- donut vacuum rebuilt nursery capsule feasibly guitar hesitation
- radish napkin eternal quesadilla tupperware evolution jingling agitate
- stopwatch owlish amoeba mustard doorstep rigidness bullfrog awoke
- icing voicemail grill guitar irrigation snowsuit yacht gynecology
- durable oven sprout iphone roundtable atlas modify refinery
- asleep gibberish iron kamikaze asocial speakers upholstery viewfinder